Egg Drop Experiment with Raw Eggs

• 5-8 ,  9-10
• ‹ 5 min
• Easy

This is an egg-stremely simple experiment to set up and is a fun way to demonstrate the principles of gravity, motion and inertia.  As well as the items listed below you will need steady nerves for this egg-citing activity.

What to Do

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To begin with fill the glass approximately two thirds full of water

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Place the paper plate on top.

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Next, stand the cardboard tube on its end in the middle of the plate.

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Rest an egg in the cardboard tube at the top.

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You are now ready!  Give the edge of the plate a firm hit with the palm of your hand to knock it off the top of the glass.

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You may be worried that the egg will fly across the room along with the plate and cardboard tube making a horrible mess but miraculously the egg falls straight down into the water.

Science Explained

Newton’s first Law of Motion says that if something is sitting still (like an egg in a cardboard tube) then it will stay still unless something else tries to move it – this describes the principle of inertia.

There is not much friction at all between the plate and the rim of the glass so it does not take much power from your hand to knock it and the tube off.

For a split second the egg will continue to stay still (because of its inertia) and then gravity takes effect and the egg falls straight down into the glass.

Taking It Further

If you are feeling more adventurous why not try lining up two or three glasses together and see how many eggs you can get to fall simultaneously. 

What happens if you try balancing other things on top of the tube like a coin resting on a postcard?

Once you have mastered this trick you can make it even more exciting for your friends by using different coloured water or you can tell them the last time you did this everyone in the audience was covered in egg!